Anti-vaccination, which has increased with the pandemic, increases the risk of contracting many diseases. Increasingly, infectious diseases, especially in cities receiving irregular migration, put the lives of children and pregnant women at risk. President of the Turkish Pediatric Institution Prof. Dr. Stating that they hospitalized a measles case for the first time in years, Haluk Çokuğraş emphasized that if the vaccination rate for measles drops below 95 percent, epidemics can occur again.
DUE TO ANTI-VACCINE DUE TO MEASURES VACCINES
Measles vaccines, which are included in the childhood immunization schedule implemented by the Ministry of Health in Turkey, and administered at the 9th month, 1st, 4th and 6th ages, protect children 99 percent from measles, a viral disease. Measles vaccines, which have been used safely since the 1960s, are not administered by families who refuse childhood vaccination, due to the increasing anti-vaccination after the pandemic. On the other hand, Prof. Stating that vaccine follow-ups are difficult due to migration waves affecting not only Turkey but the whole world. Dr. Haluk Çokuğraş noted that vaccination rates, which are around 98 percent in Turkey, have started to decrease recently, which increases the risk of measles outbreak. Explaining that for the first time in years, they admitted a child with measles to their clinic the previous day because their vaccinations were missing, Prof. Dr. “For now, a patient has come to us, but we know that there are increasing numbers of measles cases everywhere, especially in the last month,” said Çokuğraş.
“YEARS AGO, WE WAS SEEING 2-3 MEASURE DEATH A WEEK”
Emphasizing that the vaccination rate of children in Turkey is better than many European countries, Prof. Dr. “We have an extremely good vaccination schedule. But we know that this rate has decreased in recent years. The critical limit here, for example, for measles is 95 percent. The probability of measles outbreaks also increases. We see that there has been a real increase in measles lately. We admitted such a measles case to our clinic yesterday. He was a foreign national. A patient whose vaccinations were not fully completed. Measles was a complete scourge. Measles was a very feared disease during our residency. “We used to see measles-related deaths 2 or 3 times a week. We know that it is a disease that suppresses the immune system seriously. Of course, we don’t want to go back to those old days,” he said.
“Not vaccinating children is a crime against humanity”
Emphasizing that for the last 10 years, not only Turkey but also many countries have been dealing with irregular migration due to the turmoil in the world, Prof. Dr. Çokuğraş said: “There have been uncontrolled migrations. Both migrations and increases in measles cases are not unique to us. For example, small epidemics occur from time to time in the Far East, Balkan countries and even European countries. Vaccine indecision or opposition has also increased. People don’t get vaccinated because they are really confused or they are against vaccination. But some of them are radically anti-vaccine. Due to the serious increase in the number of these people, the vaccination rates of children are unfortunately decreasing. We experienced this especially during the Covid pandemic and being against Covid vaccines, against childhood vaccines If you ask me, it is a crime against humanity if there is a disease that is vaccinated against. “
YOU CAN CAUSE OTHERS TO DIE DUE TO CONTACT
Underlining that vaccination cannot be just an individual decision, Prof. Dr. Çokuğraş made the following statements: “This is a social problem and when you do not vaccinate your own child, let’s say your child has rubella, this is not a disease we are afraid of. If your child is transmitted to a pregnant woman, that woman’s child may die or be born disabled while in her womb. If he has these diseases at an early age, it can cause much more severe pictures than children. In order for the society to become immune, we all need to be vaccinated. I don’t have the luxury of saying.”
“NORMALLY TWO DOSES, CAN BE TAKEN TO THREE DOSES FOR RISKY CONDITIONS”
Noting that childhood vaccines have been applied safely for many years, Prof. Dr. “These vaccines have no permanent, long-term side effects that will cause people to worry or give up on the vaccine. Everyone should have their children vaccinated when the time comes. Measles vaccine is usually given around the age of 1, additional doses are given at the age of 4-6 years. It has a close to 99 percent protection in a child who has had a disease. A child who has been vaccinated, although rarely, can also have measles, but he gets over it with a very mild rash. Normally, we do the first dose at the age of 1, but due to the situation we live in now, that is, when there is a danger of epidemic, migrations are very high. When it is busy, a first dose can be administered at the age of 9 months. But it does not have long-term protection during these months, only at 60 percent. Therefore, it should be administered again at the age of 1, 4 and 6. The Ministry of Health has decided that the measles vaccine has been given to 9 months for a long time. He started to practice when he was a month old already,” he said.
(DHA)